A 53-year-old convicted felon who, during an act of rage, shot out the window of a vehicle parked on a Jurupa Valley street was sentenced Wednesday to six months in jail and three years felony probation.
Steven Ponce Madrid of San Bernardino admitted charges of reckless discharge of a firearm and being a convicted felon in possession of a gun under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange for his admissions, prosecutors dropped a charge of making criminal threats.
The plea bargain was reached just as Madrid’s case was assigned to a courtroom for a preliminary hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Superior Court Judge Thomas Kelly certified the terms of the agreement and imposed the sentence stipulated by the prosecution and defense.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Ernie Esquibel, Madrid went May 14 to a residence in the 4000 block of Leigh Street, near Molino Way, where he got into an argument with the property owner for reasons not disclosed.
Esquibel said Madrid left the location, only to return two hours later armed with a .22-caliber pistol.
“A witness observed Madrid walk up to the victim’s vehicle and fire several bullets … into the rear window,” the sergeant said.
He said no one was in or near the car at the time.
Detectives obtained a search warrant for Madrid’s home in the 1300 block of Walnut Street, where the defendant was taken into custody without a struggle the following day.
Madrid has a prior conviction in San Bernardino County for battery resulting in great bodily injury, according to court records.